Best practices for adding and verifying sending domains in Inboxally

If you want your emails to land in the inbox—not the spam folder—you have to get your sending domains set up and verified properly. This isn’t just a box-ticking exercise. Mess this up, and all the fancy deliverability tools in the world won’t save you.

This guide is for marketers, tech leads, and anyone else who actually has to do the sending domain setup in Inboxally. You’ll get step-by-step instructions, honest advice about what matters, and a heads-up on what most people get wrong.

Why Sending Domain Setup Matters (and Where People Go Wrong)

When you add a sending domain, you’re telling inbox providers (think Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo) who you are and whether they should trust your emails. If you skip steps or “just copy the DNS records and hope,” you’ll see poor deliverability—or worse, your domain gets flagged as spam.

Common mistakes:

  • Adding a domain you don’t control
  • Skipping DNS record updates (or doing them wrong)
  • Not waiting long enough for records to propagate
  • Forgetting to remove old or conflicting DNS entries
  • Using free email domains (like Gmail or Yahoo) as your sending domain—don’t do this

Take the time to do this right. It’ll save you headaches later.

Step 1: Prep Before You Add the Domain

Don’t dive into Inboxally yet. First, make sure you have:

  • Access to your DNS provider: This is where you’ll add TXT, CNAME, and maybe MX records. Common ones are Cloudflare, GoDaddy, Namecheap, or your web host’s control panel.
  • Admin privileges: If you’re not the DNS admin, get them or loop that person in now.
  • A custom domain: You need a domain you actually own, like yourcompany.com. Don’t even think about using gmail.com.

Pro tip: If you’re testing things out, use a subdomain (like mail.yourcompany.com). This keeps your main domain reputation safe if you run into issues.

Step 2: Add the Domain in Inboxally

Now, head over to Inboxally and add your domain:

  1. Log in to Inboxally.
  2. Navigate to the sending domains section. Usually, it’s labeled “Domains,” “Sending Domains,” or similar.
  3. Click “Add Domain.”
  4. Enter your domain name. Use the exact domain or subdomain you’ll send from, like mail.yourcompany.com.

After this, Inboxally will spit out a set of DNS records—usually SPF, DKIM, maybe DMARC, and sometimes a tracking CNAME.

Step 3: Add the Verification Records to Your DNS

This is where most people get tripped up. Here’s the honest version:

  • Copy each DNS record exactly. Don’t add or remove spaces. Don’t “improve” anything.
  • SPF (Sender Policy Framework): One per domain is best. If you already have one, you might need to merge it.
  • DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): Each provider uses a different selector. Don’t reuse DKIM records from other platforms.
  • CNAME or MX records: Only add if Inboxally provides them.

How to add records:

  1. Log in to your DNS provider (GoDaddy, Cloudflare, etc.).
  2. Find the DNS management section.
  3. Add each record exactly as shown. Pay special attention to:
  4. Host/name: Sometimes you just need the part before the domain (e.g., mail), sometimes the full domain.
  5. Value: Copy-paste without changes.
  6. Type: TXT, CNAME, or MX—don’t guess.

DNS propagation tip: Changes can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours to show up globally. Usually it’s less than an hour, but don’t panic if it takes longer.

What not to do:

  • Don’t add records to the wrong domain or subdomain.
  • Don’t delete existing records unless you know what they’re for.
  • Don’t use wildcards unless you know why you’re doing it.

Step 4: Verify the Domain in Inboxally

Go back to Inboxally and click the “Verify” button for your domain. Inboxally will check if your DNS records are in place.

  • If it verifies: You’re good. Move on.
  • If it doesn’t: Don’t just keep clicking verify. Check:
  • Did you spell the domain right?
  • Are the DNS records exactly as shown?
  • Did you add the records to the right domain or subdomain?
  • Has enough time passed for DNS to update?

Pro tip: Use a public DNS lookup tool (like MXToolbox or Google’s Dig tool) to see what the world sees. Your local computer might show old results due to caching.

Step 5: Test Your Setup Before Sending Real Campaigns

Don’t assume everything’s perfect just because Inboxally says “Verified.”

What to do:

  • Send a test email: Use Gmail, Outlook, and one or two smaller providers. Check the spam folder.
  • Check headers: Look for “pass” next to SPF, DKIM, and DMARC in the email headers. “Fail” means something’s off.
  • Monitor analytics: If you’re getting high bounce rates or landing in spam, something’s probably misconfigured.

What NOT to worry about:

  • DMARC: It’s useful, but if you’re just starting out, a relaxed policy (p=none) is fine.
  • BIMI: Ignore the hype for now unless you have a massive brand and a budget for brand logos in inboxes.

Step 6: Maintain Your Domain Health

Adding and verifying the domain is just the start. If you want to keep your emails landing in the inbox:

  • Don’t use your main domain for risky campaigns. Use a subdomain for cold outreach or high-volume sends.
  • Regularly check your DNS records. Sometimes hosts change things or records get removed.
  • Rotate keys if needed. If you suspect a compromise, update your DKIM keys.
  • Monitor blacklists. If you end up on one, fix the underlying issue before sending more.

Honest Takes: What Actually Matters and What Doesn’t

What works:

  • Precision: Copy DNS records exactly and check them with outside tools.
  • Patience: DNS updates aren’t instant.
  • Isolation: Use subdomains to protect your main business email reputation.

What doesn’t:

  • Rushing setup just to “get something out the door.”
  • Believing “verified” means everything’s perfect.
  • Using free email domains or shared domains.

What you can ignore for now:

  • Fancy authentication extras (like BIMI or ARC)
  • Overly strict DMARC policies before you’re ready
  • Third-party “domain reputation” tools—focus on the basics first

Keep It Simple and Iterate

Getting your sending domain set up and verified in Inboxally is mostly about paying attention to the details and not skipping steps. If something isn’t working, double-check your DNS records, be patient with propagation, and don’t be afraid to ask your DNS provider’s support for help (they’ve seen it all).

Don’t overthink it or get caught up in shiny new deliverability “hacks.” Nail the fundamentals, keep your setup clean, and tweak as you go. That’s how you actually get your emails delivered.